Inflammation may be the culprit behind our deadliest diseases | TIME

April 11, 2023 By Shilpa Ravella That inflammation is a common element in humankind’s top killers—heart disease and cancer—is unlikely to be serendipitous. The intricate link between inflammation and modern chronic diseases is rooted in our evolutionary history. In order to survive infections, famine, and other dangers in brutish ancestral times, we developed hyperactive immune…

Volcanoes national park

https://shilparavella.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/BlogVid2.mp4 (audio: Ledward Kaapana | Radio Hula) A foggy hike in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to the largest active volcano in the world. Here you can make your way down into a stunning volcanic crater, meeting rare flora and fauna along the way. You might even catch a perfect rainbow. Pictured is the gorgeous…

A Silent Fire

January 12, 2023 Excited to share that A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet and Disease is now available in the UK! “Compelling, thoughtful and rigorously researched…Ravella fuses scientific history with something more in the line of a self-help guide…if your new year’s resolution involves a promise to take care of yourself, this book…

Close up of berries

Boosting immunity with food

In addition to getting enough sleep and exercise, managing stress, avoiding tobacco and minimizing alcohol use, choosing the right foods can boost immunity and help defend against infections.  Some of the best foods for the immune system, as research shows, are the ones listed below.  They’re full of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and other antioxidants:…

Photo of a Pot with Some Liquid

Stomach issues? Maybe a low-residue diet can help

A low-residue diet is low in fibers, particularly indigestible fibers. It also limits high-fat foods. When you’re having intestinal issues, fiber and fat may be harder for your digestive tract to process. The goal of this diet is to rest the GI tract and to reduce GI symptoms. A low-residue diet may be used for people with gastroparesis, a flare of inflammatory bowel disease, recent abdominal surgery or other gastrointestinal issues. The foods I recommend for patients on a low-residue diet are also low in FODMAPs.